nashuaworldcup Chapter 1120 Investigation 3
Chapter 1120 Investigation 3
Jiang Fenghua knew that the golden toads were afraid of fire. "Use fire! Get as many torches as possible, but be careful not to get their venom on you."
Soon, firelight illuminated the Buddhist hall. Upon encountering the firelight, the golden toad quickly hid in the dark passage and dared not venture out again.
Only then did the soldiers cry out in alarm, "Monsters! There are so many monsters!"
Everyone was horrified. Inside, there were countless golden toads, some as small as a fist, others as large as a washbasin. The pustules on their backs had burst, oozing foul-smelling venom...
This is a huge underground cave, its depth unknown. A staircase extends downwards through a dark passage, and hundreds of pottery jars are densely packed on the walls of the staircase.
Inside the earthenware jar were fist-sized golden toads with dark brown eyes, making strange "cooing" sounds.
Looking at the skeletons outside, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Could these skeletons be the food of the golden toad?
The Living Buddha Temple is truly a den of demons.
Jiang Fenghua stared at Wu Yirong and said in a deep voice, "Does Prefect Wu know what these things are?"
Cold sweat poured down Wu Yirong's forehead. "This humble official doesn't know what happened either. The Living Buddha Temple has always been a temple with thriving incense offerings and efficacious bodhisattvas. They are here to save people from murder and robbery, and they actually used toads to eat human flesh to destroy evidence. This... is simply outrageous."
Jiang Fenghua said coldly, "Bring Pudu over here!"
When Pudu saw that all the gold and silver treasures hidden in the Bodhisattva were exposed, his face changed instantly. Not all of this money was his.
"What else do you have to say now?" Jiang Fenghua asked.
Pudu said, "This old monk knows nothing."
"Don't you know about the golden toads raised behind this secret door?" Jiang Fenghua had someone lead him to the cave entrance. "How deep is it in here? I'll throw you down and see."
Pudu felt weak all over, and his eyes involuntarily looked in Wu Yirong's direction, because Wu Yirong had said he would have a way to save him if anything happened.
Wu Yirong said coldly, "Abbot Pudu, you are utterly unworthy of being a monk. I trusted you so much, how could you do such a thing? You have murdered so many people, how are their families supposed to live?"
"Prefect Wu must have visited the Living Buddha Temple quite often!" Jiang Fenghua mocked. "Having done so many bad things, he probably won't find peace of mind no matter how much incense he burns."
Jiang Fenghua also sensed the threat in Wu Yirong's words.
Wu Yirong's heart trembled. What did the Empress mean by this?
Upon hearing the word "family," Pudu knelt on the ground and confessed, "Actually, I... I was also forced. I was also doing it for money. I confess everything. Please, Your Majesty, spare my life."
Wu Yirong's eyes flashed with a cold light as he looked in Jiang Fenghua's direction.
Jiang Fenghua pretended not to see it and said in a deep voice, "Prefect Wu, quickly summon the witnesses to court!"
Wu Yirong was stunned. "Who is the witness?"
Zhang Qian said, "This humble official will summon Hu San immediately."
Wu Yirong felt a chill run down his spine. This Hu Sanfen was clearly a fake, and Zhang Qian knew that too. Why summon him here as a witness?
Soon, Hu San was also brought in.
Upon seeing Jiang Fenghua, Hu San knelt on the ground and said, "This humble subject, Hu Kui, greets Your Majesty the Empress."
"Your surname is Hu, so who is Hu San to you?"
“Hu San is indeed my brother. I am his elder brother, Hu Kui. I have been away from home for many years, doing other things. When I learned that something had happened to my family, I secretly investigated the matter… My brother’s family was indeed killed by the Golden Toad. The Living Buddha Temple has been using the Golden Toad to harm people. The remains on the back mountain are evidence that they fed the Golden Toad.” Hu Kui continued, “It was not until Her Majesty the Empress secretly arrived in Yuzhou that I dared to go to Her Majesty to seek justice for my brother’s family and punish the evildoers.”
He pointed at Wu Yirong and said, "Prefect Wu is an accomplice who protected the evil people from the Living Buddha Temple and killed my brother."
Wu Yirong hurriedly explained, "Hu San has no elder brother. Who sent you to frame me? I have no grudge against you... You are talking nonsense, Your Majesty. Please don't listen to his nonsense. I have always been conscientious and never dared to slack off in the slightest. Your Majesty can ask the people of Jiangzhou. I have never been harsh on a single person in Jiangzhou."
"Whether Prefect Wu is innocent or not, I have investigated since then. Without evidence, I will not believe his nonsense." Jiang Fenghua continued, "I am thinking, if Hu Kui is lying, what is his motive for framing Prefect Wu? How does he know the secret of the Living Buddha Temple? Pudu seems to have some hidden story. Prefect Wu, do not be anxious. Investigate the case one by one. I will never let anyone wrong an official of our Great Zhou Dynasty, nor will I let a villain who harms the people of Great Zhou get away with it."
Wu Yirong forced himself to remain calm.
Jiang Fenghua then said, "Since Prefect Wu is a suspect in the case, let Prefect Zhang handle it! You can listen in from the sidelines."
Zhang Qian replied in a deep voice, "Your humble servant obeys the decree."
The case doesn't even need a trial. The Living Buddha Temple's raising of toads has caused people's deaths, and the evidence, both witnesses and physical evidence, is conclusive. It's just a formality and a procedure.
As for Wu Yirong's life, she still has to keep him alive.
At this moment, more and more people were gathered outside the temple. Jiang Fenghua walked outside the temple and saw that the soldiers had already surrounded the Living Buddha Temple. She glanced around and saw that it was full of people blocking the front of the temple. The people who had just witnessed the murder in the temple had all retreated and were guarding the temple gate.
Jiang Fenghua gestured to Hongxiu, who then said in a deep voice, "The Empress is here. Everyone be quiet. Her Majesty has something to say to you all."
The people looked at Jiang Fenghua and, seeing her dressed in men's clothing, exclaimed, "Is she the Empress?"
"I've heard long ago that Your Majesty travels incognito attire in men's clothing."
"Her noble and majestic presence must belong to the Empress."
“I just saw Her Majesty. The people with her must be palace guards. The guards in Shengjing are different from the constables in our small town. They are all very imposing…”
The common people knelt down and bowed, saying, "This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress, may Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
The sounds of people worshipping continued one after another. Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "Everyone, please do not make any formalities. Do not go near the Living Buddha Temple. It is very dangerous inside. It is getting dark. Everyone should go home. If you hear any strange noises on the road, do not be curious. Go home quickly."
She took the torch from the guard and took out the toad picture she had drawn before. She said seriously, "If you encounter a golden toad with tentacles on the road or at home, do not attack it. Use the torch to scare it away and protect yourselves and your families. The court will soon send people to eliminate the golden toads of the Great Zhou."
The crowd began to discuss again, "Her Majesty the Empress has spoken personally, is there any harm in dealing with this golden toad?"
"The soldiers just said that this is a man-eating toad that has harmed many people. The Living Buddha Temple is a breeding ground for the toad, and those skeletons are the work of the toad..."
She guessed that the Yuezhi people wouldn't have only raised a bunch of golden toads in Jiangzhou. If there were more toads in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Yuezhi people would definitely not let this opportunity pass. Yue Anying came to the Great Zhou to find the group of people who left behind the golden toad eggs back then.
Bai Yuhan and Wan Qianshan have already set off with the Bai family's green-eyed golden toad. Old Master Bai found a register at home that listed a group of doctors that Baili Chuan and Mu Qi's family had recruited years ago. Each of their descendants could potentially become toad breeders.
Baili Chuan conspired with Mu Qi's family... Where did Baili Chuan end up?